Pros: Note: We played this course after we had played Lakeside on a weekend in February. We played from the longer tees without carts.

Creekside gives you the opportunity to air it out a little more than at Lakeside. You can air it out without having to worry about losing it in water as there is less water.

Even with less water, the long holes still demand good placements to score well. I especially enjoyed Hole 3. It actually had water and you had to lay up and then throw over the water to a guarded basket.

I have never been a big fan of making holes long for the sake of making them long, but Hole 8 was one of the holes that I did not mind. It is the only 1000'+ hole in the area. You need to finish right off your drive to avoid being in the bushes and then a few more good shots down a huge alley to get to the basket.

I felt that Creekside had more par 3s that appeals to people who like shorter holes. This course had a much better variety in terms on <300' holes and longer 550'+ holes. This course is longer footage wise, but you can expect to score better here than at Lakeside, because of the larger number of shorter holes.

Cons: In my opinion, there are too many average holes to make this course a 5. Holes 4, 5 and 17 are just short shots over a little bit of water. Even the longer holes felt a little repetitive. For some reason, Creekside's holes just did not stick well in my mind like Lakeside, and I think that is important to make a great course.

Houck likes peninsulas, and I like peninsulas. However, I did not like Hole 18. At all. I felt that the peninsula was too narrow and hard to hit from 320' out. According to the course map, the peninsula directly in front of the pad about 100' is OB, which makes there no good lay up zone.

All four are phenomenal courses and all four are worth the time and money to spend an entire weekend up here.

Do not get me wrong, I enjoyed Creekside 100 percent; it is definitely in my top 10 course, but I think its ratings are overrated because it is next to the best course in the world. Still, this is a great course and it has a lot of fantastic holes. I would make the drive back to play both of these phenomenal courses.

Cody, so glad you enjoyed Creekside so much. Just one note on #18, which still confuses people for some reason. Yes, the little penninsula right in front of you is OB, but the short tee, and the entire area left of the water is in-bounds. You can lay up there and have just 200' to the green.

Pros: There are obviously a lot of pros to this course. Let's get the standard ones out of the way that have been mentioned in every review. First, having golf carts is one of the best things to happen to disc golf since the beveled edge driver. Starting at 9 AM 4 of us were able to get in 3 rounds and a lunch break before it got dark at 5:30. And that's three rounds on 8,800 ft. courses. There's no way that I could play that much golf and still get out of bed the next day if I wasn't using a cart. They have changed the carts from 4 seaters to 2 + cargo. It will end up costing more for groups to have them, but the ability to carry more bags, coolers, etc (especially in the Texas summer) is a big plus for me. Also, the carts are no longer electric but rather gas. This means no worrying about being left stranded at the far end of the course due to dead batteries. From the fuel gauge reading a full day of disc golf barley made a dent in our cart.

This course is a fairly open course that allows you to take whatever line you want to take in most cases. That means huge distance anyhyzers, roller, or even the elusive 'chicken-wing' with a Zephyr. However, don't be fooled by the open spaces. The course is cleverly laid out to give you several options on your throws, but if you don't execute and land in one of those few areas, your next shot will be made that much more difficult. For example, hole 7 only has one large tree in the middle of the fairway, however every time I've played this course at least one person has ended up underneath it and then has to scramble for a par. The other obstacle that this course utilizes very well is the rough off of the fairway. While you are still able to move around, having rough that makes it difficult to throw the correct shot even on a 1000+' hole.

This course also utilizes the water features to allow for some major risk/reward options. In all there are about a dozen places where you can opt to flirt with the OB in order to gain position and strokes on the competition. But these shots aren't just limited to the player with "Lizotte-type" distance. Even some of the 2-able holes that hover around the 300' mark allow you to play for an advantage. This is something that if very seldom utilized effectively in course design.

Finally there is the fact that as a pay-to-play course, I've rarely ever played here when the course conditions were less lacking. The fairways have always been kept in near perfect condition. The trees have been taken care of almost immediately after a storm (a previous time I camped out there might have been a tornado) has brought down limbs. And in areas where the course has been altered from the intent by natural causes they have planted more trees where necessary.

Cons: There are very few cons that I can come up with for this course. Yes, at the end of the day it can feel like some holes are stretched out longer than they need to be. I do tend to look back and feel as if the course always makes me think I could never throw far enough to do any damage. However, in the same regard these aren't strung together, long par 3's. In most cases they are par 4's where accuracy into the green is still rewarded more than distance off of the tee (with exception of some risk/reward holes).

The change in the carts from 4 to 2 seaters has increased the cost to play with more than 2 people in a group. The change in carts also means that on a busy weekend you will be less likely to have a cart available if you don't reserve one far enough in advance.

Finally, there are a few holes that I feel should be adjusted. Hole 3 has lost some of the difficulty due to a large tree being demolished from past storms. While it's still not easy it allows for unintended options over the water and into the green. I also still maintain that some planted trees on hole 10 would add some needed difficulty to an otherwise straight forward 1000' hole where distance is the sole separator of players. And finally hole 13 needs more reinforcement to the right of the tee in order to force players to play the shot over the water as intended. There are a few junipers planted but constant hyzers out to the right have cut them lower and lower over the few years the course has been in the ground.

Other Thoughts: I know that many people view this course as being inferior to the Lakeside course, however, I think that it poses just as much challenge. There are a few holes on this course that I always look forward to; 3, 10, 14 quickly jump to mind. And I always leave feeling like I want to come back and play again because I know I can still do better.

The last thing to mention is the hospitality here is second to none. The owners and the course crew have always been more than helpful and always happy to see us. I know the location is a bit far for some, but I don't see a reason that a singles tournament couldn't be run at Selah with regularity. In fact it's one place that I would pay to spectate a Texas States Championship event or other NT.

If you haven't already been out here, it's one course that has to be on a "Must Play" list.

Pros: Selah Ranch - Creekside has been on my bucket list for two years. It was the first course I played at the ranch of the two courses. My drive to the course had my heart pounding. I literally couldn't wait to get there. When I arrived at the course I was greeted by the ranch manager. The pro shop was pretty neat and I was pretty surprised to find I was the only one there. Regardless, he gave me everything I needed to know and sent me on my way. I had the entire course to myself. Literally not a soul in sight on one of the best courses in the world. Here are my pros.... DISCLAIMER: My review is written from my perspective from the long tees:

1) The finishing stretch of holes at Creekside is amongst the best finishing holes in all of disc golf, bar none. It is better than its counterpart Lakeside and and truly left me speechless. You wouldn't think hole 15, measuring in at 296 feet, would be that special but this hole was awesome. It was a true option hole and the tree in front of the teebox (you'll know the one I am talking about) is unforgettable. This is what an option hole should be....AND then you get to hole 16 and you find out what disc golf is all about. This is the hole that defines this course and at the end of the day its the only hole I came back to play twice...and then I played it a third time, as I was determined to make an eagle (I didn't...I put a disc in the water instead). This hole is one of the most glorious par 5's in disc golf and is probably the 4th best hole in all of disc golf, in my opinion. I would put it right up there with hole 7 at Lakeside. Hole 17 is a fun little shot over water that is screaming "come an get me" while 18 is one of the most daunting shots in all of disc golf. While some people may think hole 18 is gimmicky I think its insanely amazing. 318 feet to an island green? That's not gimmicky...its marvelous. Its what made the round so special. Its not a shot you want to throw over and over again, but it is a shot that defines the course. The finishing stretch on Creekside may be the best finishing stretch in all of disc golf. You don't need par 4's and par 5's to be great. They can be good, yes, but sometimes they fail (see below on that).

2) Water - Hopefully you aren't afraid of water, because you will get it out here. There is water everywhere and it comes into play on many shots. Pray for no wind! It adds a lot of value to the design and on a calm day really is peaceful.

3) Design - What stood out to me on this course is that the design, for the most part, was amazing (more on that below). There's not a lot of elevation here and the woods aren't particularly interesting in Texas, but in the end the design was very solid.

4) The greens fees were worth every dollar. I enjoy paying for disc golf when I know its going to a great cause. It is completely amazing to play disc golf with carts, especially on a massive course such as Creekside. Its so wonderful to just not have to worry about anything but throwing and throwing and throwing. Its just fun to drive golf carts!

5) Concrete tees and baskets were great. The baskets are newer because its a newer course and the tees allowed me the runup I needed to throw my shots. I remember having some extra space behind the tees as well in case I needed an extra runup.

6) I played the long tees and enjoyed every minute of it, but it is great that there is a nice set of red tees for different skill levels to enjoy. If I was in the scoring mood I could see myself playing the red tees. If I am in the beatdown mood, I'd just play the long tees!

7) This is nature at its best. While it sucked actually getting to this course, once you are there it feels like a different world. There's no interstate noise, no city noise...just nature. You are in nature and you are playing the best sport in the world. This course is so far out in the middle of nowhere that its almost like you are playing disc golf in the glorious Shire.

8) The variety is completely astounding here. I threw putter off of the tee on two holes and threw three drives on another hole just to get close to the basket (number 8). This course can be really long, like hole 10, but then the course can be really short (like holes 4 and 5 and 11). The course had a hole over 1000 feet and five holes under 300 feet. If that's not variety I don't know what is! I think it makes the longer holes even more special when they are not stacked one after one after one. Its nice to play a 930 foot par 5 (hole 10) and then play a short part 3. Likewise, after playing the beastly hole 16 you get a shorter par 3 measuring 279 feet (albeit with a water carry).

9) The Par 3's - I thought the par 3's at Creekside were better than the par 3's at Lakeside. I saw some complaints about holes 4 and 5 and how they were boring because they were just baskets by water.....but wow! That's the kind of hole that makes you think and brings out the best disc golfers. Go for it or not? Both of these holes, while very similar, are much more unique and better than 90% of the par 3's at your average city course. Both of these holes require a lot of guts to even come near the basket and if you don't come near the basket on your tee shot, are you going to have the guts to go for the putt? Now I did think 13 was a little redundant because it was a similar shot but I still like these kind of holes because it forces you to make decisions. Instead of just chucking it you really have to think about where to throw it. Also, hole 11, while fairly short, just felt more interesting to me than most, short par 3's. I loved how the basket was blind from the tee.

10) Other: Hole 12 may not stand out to some people but this one of my favorite par 4's on the course. It had some elevation and was really memorable because of the big hay bales. I really liked the second shot on this hole and thought the green was well thought out.

Cons: You can't really give a course a 4.5 and have a lot of cons but there were a few:

1) I personally LOVE long bomber courses so this type of course would usually be right up my alley, but I found myself a little bored by holes 7 through 10. Its not that they weren't good holes but to say they were great holes would not be accurate in my opinion. 7 was a little too wide open for me and hole 8 just felt long for the sake of long. As stated I do love long holes but after finishing hole 8 I just felt normal. It didn't feel like the hole would offer a big score separation because it didn't have a lot going on. Hole 9 was better but still a little too open for me. Just throw a big hyzer off of the tee and throw another hyzer to the basket. Hole 10....more on that below. As I said, these weren't bad holes but they weren't great holes.

2) I really wanted to like hole 10. On paper it looked like a signature hole. The green on this hole was phenomenal and the last 200 feet down the corridor really provided a neat window to the green. But its the first 730 feet I had a problem with. This hole was built as an option hole but I just couldn't really figure out the location of the fairway. The left route seemed too hard to hit and the right route looked too jumbled. I played this hole twice to try to get the feel and both times I was just confused as to where I was actually supposed to be throwing. I love option holes, but I truly believe that option holes are VERY hard to make work on par 4's and par 5's. I have talked to other designers about this and they tend to agree. I think the concept and idea behind this hole were great but it just didn't work for me.

NOTE: I was originally going to reduce the rating of this course to a 4.0 because of the length of the grass on some of the holes and the presence of a lot of downed limbs. The day I played Creekside it was in rough shape. I spoke to the ranch manager and he said the weather had been pretty bad. I decided not to penalize the course for this, but I wanted to point out the fact that the day I played the grass was very long in some areas (I lost a disc in the middle of the fairway on hole 7) and there were a lot of branches down on the course. Don't let the cons scare you. This course is worth every penny!

Other Thoughts: I thought long and hard about my rating for Creekside and tried not to compare it to Lakeside. But at the end of the day its impossible not to compare the two courses. While I do think Lakeside is a better course than Creekside, its not by much. Lakeside has more breathtaking holes but Lakeside has one too many "average" holes. Creekside only has a few "average" holes in my opinion, and so it wins in that regard. I would actually rate Creekside somewhere between a 4.25 and a 4.5 but I bumped it up to a 4.5 because the finishing stretch is amazing. As stated in my Lakeside review I would actually give Lakeside a rating closer to 4.75 but didn't quite think it qualified to be a 5. Two marvelous courses on one property made for a great day of disc golf!

Pros: Wonderful amenities on site including a small pro shop, showers and bathrooms at the start of the course etc.

Well designed within the land given, this course has a more natural feel that Lakeside. I'm not sure why I like it better, but I do.

While I don't like the carts overall they do reduce fatigue.

See the pros in the reviews below. Some o them describe this course far more eloquently than I can.

Cons: Price. $20 is reasonable for the courses, but the $40 fee for the carts is almost mandatory unless you're in tip top shape.

The carts: In addition to being costly they aren't doing anything good for the land on either course. Golf courses cut down on wear and tear by having cart paths. Disc golfers seem to drive the carts all over the place instead of staying well away from water, and the center of the fairway the way common sense would dictate. Please have some courtesy people.

Other than those two I really don't have much bad to say about Creekside. It is a little sterile like Lakeside, but not nearly as bad.

Other Thoughts: I know this goes against the grain, but I enjoyed Creekside more than Lakeside. I waited until I'd played both courses several times and from both sets of tees to write this thinking I'd change my mind, but at the end of the day I'd really like to be able to rate this course a 4.5 and Creekside a 4.75, but working within the system we have I want to rate both courses fairly, but show my preference for Creekside.

I travel all over the US for business, and don't review many courses unless I feel I have something to add. Unfortunately here I feel like I need to add a contrary opinion. These are marvelous courses, but they do have things that could be improved.

Pros: I played this course from the pro tees from which it plays over 9,000 feet. As many have stated, it winds through some gentle hills near a creek that was mostly dry when I played in July. The holes are generally longer and more open than Lakeside and the course certainly feels more open and long.

The pro tee boxes are trapezoidal with the narrower part in the front (as it should be IMO). They offer plenty of room for my runup.

The first two holes are long holes that wind through large trees in a pasture-like setting. Hole 3 was a lot of fun and is probably my favorite hole on both courses. It calls for a backhand to a landing area by a pond followed by a RHFH or RHBH turnover over the pond to the basket.

Elevation is used very well on some holes, Hole 12 stands out. It calls for a right turning shot thrown uphill ending in a cluster of trees that were just past a number of large hay bales (not sure if the bales are permanent, but they definitely added to the hole). The holes through the more forested areas are very well thought out with the exception of 10.

The amenities at the pro shop are the best that I have encountered at any golf course with the exception of the selection of discs for sale. The carts eliminate the need for most amenities that are desired out on the course and they will let you play four rounds of golf without getting really tired from the hike.

Cons: This course felt a little more repetitive to me and I agree with others that the water is over used.

An example of the repetitive feel are holes 4, 5, and 13. All of these holes are short (under 300 ft) with water very near the basket and on the left. They can all be reached with a midrange disc thrown on a hyzer RHBH. Hole 13 may "benefit" from the hyzer option only because of what looks like recent trimming - I could not tell for sure, but the option is definitely there.

Another thing that kind of feels repetitive for me is the fact that there are only eight par 3s on this course. Only two of those are longer than 300' (301' and 318'). Aside from the Par 3s, there are no holes under 500 feet! There isn't one hole in the mid 300s or any hole in the 400s from the pro tees. So, if you are not trying to park the hole with a mid or fairway driver, you are trying to lay up somewhere. Many of my favorite holes are longer par 3s that call for shaping a line with a driver off the tee in an attempt to get in birdie position. This course really doesn't have that. This is subjective, of course, and Creekside doesn't really seem as long as its 9176 feet would suggest (partly because two holes use 2000 of those feet), but there is little opportunity to park a long drive for birdie. It is also true that this requires you to "think ahead" to landing zones that allow a shot at the pin (or another landing zone), but this is also something required on almost every hole that isn't reachable with a putter or mid.

The last three holes finish with what are essentially forced water carries. You must carry 300 ft off the tee over water to the first landing area from the pro tees on 16, then lay up (by hyzering over the water), then throw over the water again to get to the basket. Another water carry greets you on 17, although it is very short and you can cheat to the left if you don't want to risk your disc. Finally, 18 requires a 318' throw over water with water to the front, right and left of the basket. This hole could easily take several discs, especially on a windy day.

Hole 8 is over 1000' and just felt long for the sake of being long. Three drivers thrown backhand and putt. Hole 10 is nearly as long through woods around a creek. It also felt long for the sake of being long with the added complication of being a trek through a moderate to heavily wooded bottom land around a creek. I'd have to play it several times just to get an idea of how to approach the first two shots. It could have been divided up into two better holes IMO.

Carts/Amenities. If you don't pay $40 for a cart, you will find yourself on a very long course that has no water, no bathrooms, no garbage cans and no benches. The carts make up for this and have other benefits, but their number is also limited. I highly recommend a cart and to make sure that you reserve one in advance if you will be playing on a weekend.

Other Thoughts: This course offers stretches of great holes separated by some headscratchers and then ends on three holes with water carries. It is a fun course, and combined with Lakeside, it was definitely worth the 3.5 hour drive from home, but if I only had time to play one of these courses, I would go with Lakeside.

Pros: As you play through the course, it tests an element of your game that is frequently missed in other courses: the need to constantly be thinking two or three shots ahead to ensure you're in the desired landing zone for your next shot. This style of design makes what initially appears to be an extremely long course into something manageable, as the creative placement of baskets, trees, and clearings forces you to shoot multiple shorter shots rather than trying to reach the basket in a single long throw.

The course is extremely fair even though it can be quite difficult to shoot well here. Furthermore, the course is very complete in that it doesn't seem to favor one throwing style over the other. As a result, you will need many different shots in your bag of tricks to shoot well.

The tees are all large concrete tees that are level and the tee signs are very informative and provide some insight into how to play the hole for a first-time visitor to Selah Ranch.

The fairways are kept nicely mowed and tee pads clean thanks to a very dedicated grounds crew.

The Baskets are Innova DisCatchers that are all in great shape with no rust or loose parts.

A final point that I would like to make is how well the course flowed. There was never any confusion as to where to go next, even for someone playing the course for the first time without a guide.

Cons: As one of the best courses in the world, there is nothing that needs to be improved upon, but the only real thing that could be an added convenience is the presence of some more trash cans around the course even though they are not needed since most golfers have golf carts they can put their trash in (carts not allowed in tourneys).

Other Thoughts: This course is awesome from the first sight of it. You enter the ranch, and immediately see some of the baskets for the last 4 holes of Creekside presenting amazing water carry shots in a very scenic landscape. This mood prevails as you check in at the on-site Pro-Shop and get your golf cart (yeah, that's right. . . a golf cart for disc golf!).

Pros: The Selah Ranch courses are on some of the most beautiful property that I have seen for a disc golf course. Jack, the course manager, was very helpful in giving us insights about the courses and warning us about any holes where rough or high water was the worst. He said that the conditions of the course were the worst they have ever been, and the courses were still in pristine shape. Luckily, we caught the course just after he had mowed the fairways for some of the holes. Even off the fairway, the grass was not very high nor was the rough thick. We didn't have to search for our discs at all throughout our two rounds.

All of the amenities are the best of the best, with plenty of clean bathrooms and showers near the pro shop, elaborate course maps and tee signs at every tee, very big concrete tees, and DISCatcher baskets in great shape. The two tee positions do a great job of offering completely different looks and distances for almost every hole. The difference between the Blue and Red tees drastically changes the hole for 10-13, 15, and 16-18.

One of the biggest strengths about the course is the incredible distribution of variety that it offers. The course has moderately wooded long holes (1, 2, 9, 16), very tight holes (6, 10, 14), different kinds of water holes (3-5, 10, 13, 16-18), long holes that allow for some bombs (7, 8), and truly everything in between. Holes 3, 10, and 14 are the three highlight holes for me, and they have completely different feels to them. I could play holes 10 and 14 a completely different way the first 5 times I played them, which to me is a top quality. The tee and pin placement offers a great variety of risk/reward type holes too. The water holes definitely give the biggest risk factor, whether it's hitting the specific landing zones, hitting the tight windows, and avoiding tree kicks into the water on 3, trying to avoid hyzering out too much on birdie-runs 4 and 5, or throwing directly over the ponds on 13, 16-18.

The course does a great job of offering vastly different lengths (with holes ranging from 159-1,019 feet) and pars (with 7 par 4's and 3 par 5's). These are true pars, though achieving par or birdie is not out of the question for even a low-mid 800's level player like myself.

I was also impressed with how well-used the elevation was on the majority of the holes. While there are not any extreme elevation changes, I was pleasantly surprised to see excellent design incorporating the elevation on many holes. The constant downward sloping of 7 and 9 and upward slope on 12 makes otherwise straight-forward holes more interesting.

Cons: -Probably the biggest con for me, and in comparison with most other courses out there is a very small factor, is the amount of straight-forwardness on some of the holes here. This is one of the best designed courses I have ever played, no doubt. However, there are a fair bit of holes on here that don't live up to the rest of the course's standard. Holes like 2, 7, and 8 allow for a lot of room for error and don't give the player many options to be creative, while 13, 17-18 are simple water holes where you throw from one side of the pond to the other. Obviously, there is more risk and technique involved than that, but the water holes on Creekside are significantly less fun and dramatic than those on Lakeside, and feel repetitive by the end of the round. I also think that holes like 4-5, 7-8, and 17-18 feel the slightest bit bland because they are very similar holes that are played consecutively, which makes them stand out a little in a negative way to me. That is the biggest factor of the course that brings my rating to a 4.5. The course does have some of the best designed - and some of my favorite holes - that I have played. And, I can see why so many people have given this course a 5. However, these holes mentioned take away the "best of the best" factor for me.

Other Thoughts: I definitely recommend getting a cart, even though it costs $40. There is plenty of room in the back to hold bags, coolers, etc. Also, it is worth getting for being able to drive up to see the landing zones and pin positions on some of the very long holes. I also recommend buying a few of the $5 used discs, as they have a huge selection of discs that are in great condition.

Combining Creekside with the Lakeside course makes for truly one of, if not the best days of playing disc golf out there. The courses are only a few hundred yards away, but offer completely different feels from each other. The water and woods holes are vastly different between the two courses, giving unparalleled variety for an awesome day of disc golf.

Pros: Selah Ranch's Creekside course sets the stage for the transcendent Lakeside by offering a wider range of shots than its complement. The signature complex par 4s and 5s are here in 3, 10, and 14, which demand precision placement, strong strategy, a respect for landing zones, and constant risk-versus-reward analysis, all propelled by a dizzying array of shots. There are plenty of opportunities to stretch your arm, such as in 2, 7, and 8, where you make your way toward the basket with broad lines around large, strategically-located trees. Water makes for some fearsome approaches (4 and 5) or serves as a more direct hazard (17 and 18), while elsewhere shaping fairways and complicating the puzzle (3, 10, and 16). The remaining holes each have their own unique character, be it 6's tunnel shot over rolling hills, 9's downhill hyzer ending with a guarded basket, or 12's hay bale guarded uphill shot.

This diversity is for the most part masterfully orchestrated; any minor quibbles mentioned below fade behind the overall sense of considerate variation. Creekside often switches gears effectively, following up, say, the par 4 challenge of hole 14 with a more straight ahead birdie run/easy 3 on hole 15. This attention to pacing isn't always perfect, but it's darn close, and certainly better than most courses I've played. The terrain is masterfully manipulated to create an immensely satisfying hole progression.

Both Selah courses are elevated by their attention to detail and their emphasis on the mental game. Tees, pins, and obstacles are all delicately positioned to make a potentially standard shot fresh and new. While longer holes are common, these stress placement much more than raw distance; knowing where to land to set up the next shot is crucial. At the same time, Creekside has a welcome share of light-hearted moments that allow you to kick back and let your hair down, whether it's making an ace run on 4 with a disc you don't mind getting wet or the almost gluttonously open spaces of hole 8. It all combines to make for an unforgettable round.

Everything beyond the golf itself is also spectacular: concrete tees are fantastic, bathrooms are clean and accessible, the pro shop with affordable used discs is very welcome with all the water, and the cart makes for a fun experience. The setting is beyond gorgeous, and even on what we were told was a down day, the grounds were impeccably tended. Go to Selah.

Cons: The following nit-picks keep Creekside from obtaining perfect 5.0 status for me.

Despite the largely great flow and variation of the course, it's not flawless. Holes 4 and 5 around the lake rely on water's edge pin placements to spice up otherwise straightforward holes, and when played back to back the device seems a little transparent. This sense is reinforced on the closing two holes, which reprise the pins-against-the-water once again back to back. Each hole presents its own variation on this theme, but four such holes in two pairs on the same course becomes a bit tired. This sense was amplified for me because of how much more one-dimensional the use of water is on these holes compared to elsewhere: it factors in for sheer terror factor much more than strategic complication, which is a step down from the other times it makes an appearance.

There are other spots on the course where repetition comes into play in at least a minor fashion. In addition to these two pairs of water holes, holes 7 and 8 both allow you to more or less grip it and rip it with impunity (a bit less so when playing 8 from the long tee). Back to back, they feel somewhat self-similar. Between this pair and the comparable 4 and 5, I felt that Creekside's front 9 was the least interesting 9 on site. Of course, this is very relative to the context, as they remain world class.

The cart is really necessary. The course is exceedingly spread out, and would wipe you out if you walked it. I can't imagine playing Selah on foot in July. And while I think $20 per person for a day of unlimited play is a more than fair price given the courses and the grooming, $40 for the cart seems a bit steep. But again, that's a relatively small complaint.

Other Thoughts: What amazed me most about my visit to Selah is that it exceeded my improbably high expectations. This really is as good as it gets.

I'll reiterate that the cart is a necessity, especially if you want to maximize your visit. We managed to play both courses completely through and hit much of them a second time in around 7 or 8 hours, while really taking our time to savor it all. We started with Creekside, which I'd recommend, since the quality slowly builds until culminating effectively at Lakeside.

The Super 8 Motel in Mount Vernon makes for a convenient and cheap place to stay on your visit if you're not ponying up to lodge on site.

Pros: While Lakeside meanders in and out of the woods, Creekside primarily wends its way through the fields and meadows. The holes are noticeably longer, and after starting the course with three straight 600'+ holes, you know your arm will be tested. It isn't an all out grip-and-rip course, though; placement is still important.

The other half of the challenge comes from the water carries. Contrary to what the names might imply, Creekside has more throws over lakes than Lakeside, and the creek only comes into play on two holes. There is certainly a peaceful feeling as you hop between the three ponds.

My favorite hole was 10, a 630-foot mission through my favorite kind of woods: moderate to heavy trees with virtually no rough, creating dozens of possible paths to the basket. It would take me many rounds to settle on a preferred path, and I like holes like that. The basket is deep on a peninsula surrounded by the namesake creek with danger behind.

Hole 12 was another fun one, an uphill shot with the bales of hay acting like a bunker off to one side. I never ended up in them, but I could see some fun, awkward shots resulting if you did.

Like Lakeside, nearly all of the holes have concrete pads (with a few rubber tees where the cart path is) and dual tees. The signs are my favorite kind, showing the numerous paths to the basket (as applicable). Navigation was good for the most part.

Cons: There are a couple holes with mild elevation changes, but mostly it's pretty flat.

As mentioned above, the challenge comes from the length and the water carries. From the long tees, the water carries offer a lot more risk than reward for my taste. Hole 3 has basically no route if you can't throw a turnover or forehand as a RHBH. Hole 5 is a nice looking short turnover/forehand shot to a peninsula green, but the green is pretty tight and sloped toward the water. I can't imagine playing this hole 5 times and not losing a disc.

Holes 16 and 18 are rough from the long tees. Hole 16 offers very little bailout option, so you'd better feel comfortable with a long shot over water. Hole 18 is worse, offering no option at all other than a 300-foot shot over water There is a peninsula (a nice theme at Selah) right in front of the tee, but for some reason it's OB. I think water is underused in disc golf in general, but it's a little overused on this course.

At times the length can get old. Hole 8 is a 1000-foot straight hole that felt more like a ball golf hole.

For the most part, the holes on Creekside just don't have the magic of Lakeside. On Lakeside I often stood at the tee and enjoyed thinking through the multiple options, not wanting to waste a drive. On Creekside, there was usually a pretty clear choice. This doesn't mean they are bad holes at all, but they are a notch below.
Hole 11 is kind of odd from the short tees, offering a worse look at the fairway than the blue tee.

Other Thoughts: The carts aren't strictly necessary, but I would recommend them if you plan to play multiple rounds between the two courses. I played four rounds before I had to leave mid afternoon and didn't feel all that tired, and the carts saved my legs.

I played the reds on Creekside and enjoyed them more than the blues. As an intermediate player, I found the blues a little much on some of the water holes. This is as opposed to Lakeside (and most other top courses I've played), where the blue tees feature a lot of risk/reward shots that I can appreciate even though I can't execute them, rather than just shots that favor a big arm.

A quick note on the rankings (there is a reason you clicked on this review, right?). This course is the Scottie Pippen of courses. If you tell me that Scottie is a great player, I'm right there with you. If you start telling me he's the #2 or #3 player, I'm going to assume you are a little blinded by the greatness of his teammate. This is definitely a great course. But it's also not in my personal top 10.

That said, are you going to go out of your way to get to a property with a 5.0 and a 4.0 course? Yeah, me too. When I found out I'd be in Dallas, I made sure to drive the two hours to get here. I'll do it again.

Pros: --Excellent design with plenty of variations in shot length and shot shape.
--Good blend of Par 3, 4 and 5 holes.
--Most holes have at least a couple of different options off the tee.
--Hole 9 comes back to the start of the course so it is easy to re-stock your water supply for the back 9.
--Two distinct sets of tees.
--The short tees still provide plenty of challenge for the 900+ rated player.
--Different wind directions can really change how you approach a hole off the tee.
--Course infrastructure is all top of the line......tees, baskets, scorecards, tee and directional signs, carts, bathrooms open, course manager cell phone posted on pro shop door.
--#3 is my favorite hole on this course. Too many runner-ups to decide on a second best.

Cons: I don't believe there is a legitimate "Con" here at Selah.

16 thru 18 from the longs are pretty darn tough in the wind......but they would play a lot easier if I wasn't throwing old discs I am scared to lose in the water.

Other Thoughts: --The lodging on-site is really good and reasonably priced. I have been to Selah in March for two consecutive years. The Corral House is great for a "Guys' Trip".
--We called the course manager due to a lack of a "fire pit grill". He had one to us in 15 minutes.
--The course rental carts were a more all terrain model in 2014 vs. 2013.....but the cart that comes with the Corral House rental is the light duty electric version that you need to plug in for a bit at least once a day between rounds. We played at least 3 rounds a day for 4 days and never ran out of juice in the electric.
--Check out Daysi's in Mt Vernon for the best breakfast burrito $3.50 can buy. No need to order two.
--I've been traveling to Texas on a spring disc golf trip for 18 years now......Austin, Wimberley, San Saba. Last year I was a little down on Selah due to my familiarity with the Meadow and Hill at Wimberley and also the CR2 San Saba courses. But really, Selah is absolutely the best combination of everything that I have experienced. I couldn't imagine going back to the original trip of staying in a hotel and driving around to different city courses.
--I travel to Texas every spring for the sole purpose of hanging out with my best friends and playing some great disc golf. Selah is the perfect spot.